


Present

by HeatherGiesbrecht



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aliens, Books, Christmas, Christmas Presents, Complete, Cross-Generation Relationship, Crossover, Crossover Pairing, Dwarves, Interspecies Relationship, M/M, One Shot, Post-War of the Ring, Pre-Thor (2011), Snakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 05:33:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17156156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeatherGiesbrecht/pseuds/HeatherGiesbrecht
Summary: It'd taken five dwarves to carry the enormous sacks up to the battlements.





	Present

Snow drifted down from an iron grey sky, Gimli brushed flakes from his beard and the pack upon his shoulders. Bilge snipe stamped, snorted and jingled upon Helm's Deep's battlement. The antlered beasts were white as snow, except for growing patches of brown on their rumps and necks, they had to be young to pull the sleigh, yet they were as tall as Shadowfax. 

Odin stepped back, nodding, apparently satisfied with the Rohirrim tack job. The Allfather of Asgard was clad in a thick crimson fur robe and gloves trimmed in ermine with an even thicker leather belt cinched about his waist. "All the presents are accounted for ? All the coal, O' Lord of the Glittering Caves ?" 

"Aye, Allfather, every one and every piece what's...going with you." He responded, agog as the old man lifted the enormous sacks into the sleigh with one hand each. Being stubborn as any dwarf, he'd refused to let Loki, much less Odin, carry them up from the delivery wagon. It had taken five dwarves, him and four others, to do the job a sack at a time.

"Megjingjord, the belt that increases strength." Loki informed him, ceremonially helping Odin into the driver seat. The youngest Prince of Asgard was clad in an emerald robe and ermine cape.

Odin smiled at them, the blue eye glittering merrily. "At least one of my sons knows its name, Thor just thinks it's useful. On Dashr, Dancr, Prancr, Vixi, Comet, Cupi, Valour and Blitzen. Onward !"

His teeth almost chattered right out of his mouth as bilge snipe and sleigh thundered into the sky. It disappeared toward Edoras. Both the bilge snipe shoes and the sleigh'd been enchanted to fly long, long before Loki'd been born, much less himself. With that done, he removed the pack from his shoulders and the present from within. It was thick and wrapped in shiny emerald paper with cloth-of-silver ribbon. "Here, Loki, I, uh, I made this for you. If you're ever not officially allowed to see me again for awhile."

Loki crouched to accept and unwrap it. "Oh, Gimli, it's beautiful." It was a volume of handwritten poetry, the black leather was tooled with the Doors of Durin opening onto the Rainbow Bridge and clasped in silver. "I shall treasure it so long as Asgard stands and even beyond Ragnarok. Thank you, love."

Even though they'd been courting for just over 30 years, he still blushed sometimes when Loki kissed him. This was one of those times. "Ah, you're welcome."

The poetry book was gently replaced in its wrappings before Loki cupped his palms and a little creature appeared in them. "God forbid that there's another War of the Ring in your lifetime, but if there is, you can take this as a reminder of Loki. You don't need to feed it, water it or even let it out." 

Carefully, he took the snake. Magically carved emerald with citrine eyes, onyx slit pupils and triangular silver markings, it lifted its head to expose fangs of pearl and a tongue of rose quartz. "You know, I don't think even my ancestors could make something like this. Does he need polishing ?"

"A little bit, just like everyone else. Now, I don't know about you, but I could do with some fireside cider or a goblet of ale."

The snake wound loosely around his throat and shoulders. After Loki picked up the book, they trooped down to the Glittering Caves and their chambers. A bottle of apple cider and two pewter mugs stood on an ornately carved, dark granite table. A fire crackled in the hearth and sparkled off the rough gemstones in the walls. Some cider, solstice thanks and poetry later, they went to bed. Although Hissi, as he'd named the snake, who'd settled on the bed post, seemed a bit disgruntled until they actually went to sleep.

Overall, it was a good night for everyone. 


End file.
